A few words about Christmas

Even as a child I knew it was never about the gifts beneath the tree, though they were tantalizing. There was always something else, something deeper going on. People changed at Christmas, they seemed happier, more tolerant, more gracious. And not just people in my immediate family but others, strangers even.

When I think of Christmas, I think of two things. The first is home. We all want to be or go home at Christmas. It might not be the home or family into which you were born, though it’s great if that’s the case. It’s the place we feel safe, the place we feel loved and accepted for who we are even with our warty imperfections (though no one seems to notice them). It’s the place where we will always be received with open arms. This is the place where the heart lives.

The second thing I think of is hope. Christmas is proof that we are capable of being more, that we can move beyond our drab, weary work-a-day existence and find more in ourselves, more to give, more to share, more to experience, more to dream, more to love. It is hope that God has plans for us and that we are willing to serve. It is the hope that, even in the darkest days, there is light inside us, it’s recognizing that there always has been light inside us and there always will be. It’s the hope, borne of faith, that we have always been loved because God SO loved the world and still does, even me, even you. ,

The words may trip us up some,  or the claims of religions, or the judgments of others, but in the end your own heart will lead you to the truth. To accept THAT truth for yourself is to know that the gifts beneath the tree are tokens, that the real gifts lie within and they are light and love.